VW Passat Family (NMS and B7) TDIs (2012+)Discussion area for the 2012+ Passat TDI (North American and rest of world versions versions). The North American model was previously codenamed NMS (New Midsize Sedan) and the version the rest of the world gets is sometimes referred to as B7.

So if I'm reading Darrell's post correctly, the freewheel feature still cuts off fuel delivery -- like older DSGs -- but without engine braking?

Yes, I have a hill/mountain I go down on the way to work every morning. In my '04 I would kill the cruse control about 1/2 way down @ 75 and I would be slowed down to the speed limit of 55 at the bottom where the cops hang out. With my '12 if I do the same thing I only slow down to just under 70 as it coasts down the hill.

Has anyone heard that on the DSG they set it to "coast" when you let up off the fuel instead of applying the compression breaking like the standard automatics on the 05 Passats?

Is this true if you are in Sports mode or downshifting it with the tiptronic?

I have my own empirical data, since I am averaging about 36.5 in MY tdi.
The 2012 passat DSG is rated at well below the Passat Manual.
A guy chimed in who had both a 6M and DSG confirming my findings.www.vw.de website lists the DSG and Manual consumption figures backing up my claim.

Some of you guys appear to be making up claims to fit your story. The manual is rated 1 MPG more...about 2.5%. I have a DSG and I am averaging 38-39 with mostly intown driving and 45 to 47 on the interstate with cruise at 73. I've got no complaints and I have nothing against manual transmissions except the shifting really gets old for me pretty quickly. My friend has a manual and his numbers are similar to mine....on a Jetta. IMO, just get either one that suits your fancy, but don't expect a big penalty if you go DSG. These "gurus" making all the huge difference claims are pushing their own agenda and convincing themselves of their intellectual superiority which no one else seems to be able to pick up on.

It's not a big deal....DSG or Manual....just personal preference, both are very economical with the TDI. I don't think people are stretching the truth or trying to prove anything when they state that 6M cars "potentially" get better mpg's......the EPA suggests a 3mpg difference between the two in favor of the 6M, and my experience having had both a DSG and now a 6M is that the 6M enables one to exceed the EPA ratings by a wider margin than the DSG.

Tdiatlast....you are absolutely correct. My apologies. I was thinking of the Jetta at 42 vs 43 for the manual Passat. I still think some of these claims are made up....but I have proven that I am wrong, so what do I know? I do know I last had a manual on a Nissan Frontier and got so sick of shifting gears after a few months that I started revving that thing up so I could go 1-3-5 and skip second and fourth if at all possible. I drove it mostly in town and it was a real pain in the butt doing all that shifting. Anyway, just my 2 cents worth. If one size fit everyone, they wouldn't make but one tranny....so take your pick. These are great cars and you will love it no matter which one you choose.

As far as the "lowest speed you can get into top gear..." You might want to keep in mind that there are many here that are concerned that cruising in TOO LOW (lugging) an RPM might have a negative effect, causing excessive soot build-up on the CRs...at least, that's my understanding. There may be a penalty to hyper-miling with these engines, with unknown long-term buildup of gook if there isn't sufficient air flow through the DPF/exhaust.

I hope someone with more understanding about this will weigh in...I don't fully understand EGR temps, etc, and how they're affected by lugging...

Some of you guys appear to be making up claims to fit your story. The manual is rated 1 MPG more...about 2.5%. I have a DSG and I am averaging 38-39 with mostly intown driving and 45 to 47 on the interstate with cruise at 73. I've got no complaints and I have nothing against manual transmissions except the shifting really gets old for me pretty quickly. My friend has a manual and his numbers are similar to mine....on a Jetta. IMO, just get either one that suits your fancy, but don't expect a big penalty if you go DSG. These "gurus" making all the huge difference claims are pushing their own agenda and convincing themselves of their intellectual superiority which no one else seems to be able to pick up on.

Irregardless of rated MPG, VW's track record on DSG transmissions shifting clunky, mechatronix failures, and 40k mile service gearbox oil changes at $450 a whack, the manual seems a better value all the way around, to me.

Been down that road with an A4 automatic transmission failure before, won't ever be going down it again.

Irregardless of rated MPG, VW's track record on DSG transmissions shifting clunky, mechatronix failures, and 40k mile service gearbox oil changes at $450 a whack, the manual seems a better value all the way around, to me.

Been down that road with an A4 automatic transmission failure before, won't ever be going down it again.

Regardless maybe???
But this thread is about mpg with DSG, not bashing the DSG.
Start another thread if that is all you want to say.

We've had 3 tanks of 100% city streets and they have all averaged 32 +/-1 MPG. That has been with some cold mornings and the wife running the heated seats mostly in the mornings, but throughout the day as well. We also just did a 1300 mile trip up and down I-25 between ABQ and Cheyenne (some mountains, very little flat terrain) and averaged 40 MPG doing 80 MPH most of the time (I think the tank average speed was in the 70s).

I get panicked when I see 30's on the gauge while driving on the highway, but have to remind myself that the Passat isn't my Golf and high 30's is doing great. On some of the New Mexico roads, the Hankooks get noisy (not as bad as the Golf), but on the smooth roads in Colorado, its very quiet. After doing 3000 miles in the golf in October squeezed in with the wife and 2 car seats (I'm 6'1"), the Passat is an absolute joy for road trips. I can stretch out all the way in front of a rear-facing carseat and there is room to spare. Other parents (especially tall ones) will know what I am talking about.